Vintage Construction Group takes the client’s point of view by combining vast resources and attention to detail.

AS A FULL-SERVICE construction company and custom homebuilder, Vintage Construction Group specializes in custom homes and renovations as well as neighborhoods – aiming to help grow and develop residential markets in northwest Louisiana.

No matter the project, the company takes a homeowner-first approach, general manager Justin Sevier says.

“With Vintage Construction Group, people think of building the home as an experience,” he says. “It’s so much more than just building. It’s keeping the clients informed and making sure they’re comfortable and confident in us.”

A team approach means the company is able to dedicate time and attention to each project – an important element for the growing company, which has been taking on about 30 custom home builds annually and is developing more than 1,000 residences in ongoing neighborhood projects.

“Each person gets a project manager assigned to them,” Sevier says. “We have a design coordinator who walks them through their selection process. Then we have an administrator to update them on payment schedules and invoice copies.

“And we have a customer service representative,” he adds. “That’s all he does – from the day they move in through years later. Any way we can help the homeowner, we will. We think communication is No. 1. The overall team approach works really well for us.”

The company is also a Southern Living Custom Home Builder, Certified Green Professional and Energy Star partner.

A Strong Foundation

Working in Shreveport and Bossier City, Louisiana, Vintage Construction Group stemmed from another successful endeavor, Vintage Realty Co.

The homebuilder was founded by the owners of Vintage Realty, David Alexander and Alvin Childs, in July 2006. Begun in 1987, Vintage Realty, which specializes in development, property management and brokerage/leasing of professional spaces and retail properties, has become a cornerstone company of the south. The same dedication carries through to Vintage Construction Group.

“We are a growing company,” Sevier says. “With such a great real estate company as our parent company, we get opportunities for land deals. That allowed us to grow the way we did.”

Already underway is Provenance, a traditional neighborhood development in Shreveport meant to revive the feel of yesterday’s small towns and foster a strong sense of community.

The entire undertaking is 377 acres and will include 1,000 homes once completed over the next decade. The concept is to create a village setting that blends nearby shops, restaurants and services with scenic parks and lakes. Custom home styles and sizes will range from townhomes and cottages to large manor homes.

The company also broke ground in 2013 on Riverscape, an 80-acre, masterplanned, riverside neighborhood – one that will incorporate residential, commercial and multifamily projects. The project is a part nership between Vintage Realty Co. and Trinity One Development Co. for the master planned, mixed-use, mixed-income traditional neighborhood development in central Shreveport, overlooking the Red River. The development will be the first and by far the most comprehensive mixed-use, mixed income traditional neighborhood development of its type in northern Louisiana, Sevier says. Despite the scope of the work, Sevier says the Vintage team aims to put the end user first.

“We really try to think about it from a client’s standpoint,” he says. “Put ourselves in their shoes. We start with that. What would they like to see in a neighborhood? That includes everything from amenities to sidewalks to lot shapes.”

Sevier says he sees homeowners who want a return to neighborhoods with a true community feeling.

“The true definition of community has made a return,” he says. “For so long, it was urban sprawl or looking for your own space on the outskirts of town, isolated from neighbors.

“There are people who still like that, but I think when people experience the closeness, they appreciate it,” Sevier adds. “It’s how neighborhoods used to be. It is so rare to see someone leave one of our communities for any reason other than a job change.”

Staying on Track

With the right tools, such as BuilderTREND software, the budding company is able to effectively oversee a broad spectrum of projects – and maintain quality.

“We also do a lot of inspections,” he adds. “I have six critical inspection points for the job, and it can’t move forward until I’ve laid eyes on it. It’s all about good checks and balances.”

The company also knows when to say no.

“Each project manager has a certain number of jobs they can handle,” Sevier says. “We know that we have the business we do because of the experience and the quality and efficiency. We don’t want to sacrifice any of that.”

Creating homes that excite and satisfy – and neighborhoods that bring people closer – still goes back to the right people.

“Everyone on the team is very good at what they do,” Sevier says. “It’s like the spokes on a wheel. Every employee plays a vital part in the process, and the outcome is greatly affected by the sum of all of those parts. It is not any one individual effort over the other – as the wheel would be out of balance if one of the spokes were bent or broken.

“We’re unique to our market,” Sevier adds. “There are commercial builders our size but, from a residential standpoint, we’re a company you would find in Baton Rouge, Dallas or Little Rock. That gives us one advantage. Having the right team, where people take pride in their work, is another.”